降 meaning and stroke order
To drop; to fall; to come down
How to write 降, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 降
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to drop
- to fall
- to come down
- to descend
- to surrender; to capitulate
- to subdue; to conquer; to tame
How 降 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hill.
阝 gives the meaning and 夅 hints at the sound.
Radical: 阝 (place), shared by 160 characters on this site.
How to remember 降
The left side 阝 means hill, and the right side 夅 gives the sound. Picture someone stepping down the side of a hill to remember that 降 (jiàng) means to come down.
降 (jiàng) is used for things going down, like prices, temperature, or a plane landing, often in words such as 降低 (jiàngdī), 下降 (xiàjiàng), and 降价 (jiàngjià). Example: 明天要降温了。(Míngtiān yào jiàngwēn le.) It will get colder tomorrow.
Common mistake: Learners often read 投降 (tóuxiáng) as tóujiàng. When 降 means to surrender or to subdue, it is read xiáng, not jiàng.
Common words with 降
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 降落 | jiàngluò | to descend; to land | HSK 4 |
| 下降 | xiàjiàng | to decline; to drop | HSK 4 |
| 降低 | jiàngdī | to reduce; to lower; to bring down | HSK 4 |
| 降温 | jiàngwēn | to become cooler; to lower the temperature | HSK 4 |
| 降价 | jiàngjià | to cut the price; to drive down the price | HSK 4 |
| 投降 | tóuxiáng | to surrender | HSK 7-9 |
| 降临 | jiànglín | to descend; to arrive | HSK 7-9 |
| 降落伞 | jiàngluòsǎn | parachute | |
| 从天而降 | cóngtiān'érjiàng | (idiom) to fall from the sky; (idiom) (fig.) to appear unexpectedly; to drop into one's la | |
| 降下 | jiàngxià | to fall; to drop | |
| 降生 | jiàngshēng | to be born; arrival of newborn | |
| 迫降 | pòjiàng | to force a plane to land | |
| 空降 | kōngjiàng | to drop from the sky; (fig.) to appear out of nowhere | |
| 升降机 | shēngjiàngjī | aerial work platform (e.g. cherry picker or scissor lift); lift |
降 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 降
How many strokes are in 降?
降 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 降 mean?
降 (jiàng) means to drop; to fall; to come down. A common word with it is 降落 (jiàngluò), meaning "to descend; to land".
How do you pronounce 降?
降 is pronounced jiàng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 降?
The radical of 降 is 阝, which carries the idea of "place". Dictionaries list 降 under this radical.
Is 降 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 降 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 降低 and 下降?
降低 (jiàngdī) usually takes an object, as in 降低成本 (jiàngdī chéngběn), to lower costs. 下降 (xiàjiàng) usually describes something falling by itself, as in 温度下降了 (wēndù xiàjiàng le), the temperature dropped.
How do you say a plane is landing with 降?
Use 降落 (jiàngluò), as in 飞机降落了 (fēijī jiàngluò le), the plane has landed. A parachute is 降落伞 (jiàngluòsǎn), literally a landing umbrella.